Landing in Scotland after the stressful ordeal of losing my passport and nearly missing my flight was a moment of pure joy and immense relief. The thrill of alighting at my destination added sweetness to the entirety of the trip.
The days my friend and I spent there were a flurry of activities along with experiencing every kind of weather known to Scotland, from bright sunny days to rain soaked memories. Aside from our final day in Edinburgh, each place visited was new-to-me. I love that about travel – it exposes us to things we might not experience otherwise. Focusing mainly on the west of the country, we visited Glasgow, the largest city; the cute and charming town of Oban, where we caught a tour to nearby islands of Mull, Staffa, and Lunga; learned about the peaty whisky on Islay at the Fèis Ìle Festival (a post about that coming soon); and a brief visit in historic Edinburgh. Each locale had its own offerings and treats, though I have to say the highlight of the trip was seeing the puffins on the Treshnish Isles. This small archipelago is comprised of eight uninhabited islands in the Inner Hebrides, not far from Mull. The largest island of Lunga is where our tour deposited us for a couple hours to watch a variety of birds in the area. I have to say, I was only focused those cute and adorable puffins! Despite my knees being sore, the climb to see these sweet marine birds was entirely worth it. My time spent watching them even surpassed checking off my bucket list item of seeing Fingal’s Cave on Staffa Island. That was great but PUFFINS! They were the best!
We explored and wandered extensively. Here’s a list of some cool places we visited. I thoroughly enjoyed them and highly recommend checking them out if you think they’d be your kind of adventure. Click the associated links to learn more.
Glasgow
Botanical Gardens – my favourite place in Glasgow, we were able to enjoy the gardens and greenhouses on a beautiful day, taking in all the flowers and plants in colourful arrays
Kelvingrove Museum – a free and fun museum with a variety of galleries and exhibits for both children and adults alike
Glasgow Necropolis – an interesting Victorian cemetery spanning 37 acres. You can wander about on your own as I did or book a guide tour
Glasgow City Mural Trail – Glasgow has done street art well with impressive murals found throughout the city
Auchentoshen Distillery – for over 200 years this is Scotland’s only triple distilled whisky. They offer tours and tastings. I suggest a tour as it was the best distillery tour I have been on and learned a great deal. Plus the whisky is good.
The Pot Still Whisky Bar – a fun vibe with knowledgeable staff to help you select a whisky or even a flight of whiskies.
Oban & Area
Oban Distillery – one of Scotland’s smallest yet distinguished distilleries, it has been crafting the “water of life” since 1794 as an integral part of the town’s history and growth
Chocolate Chocolate Company Cafe – wandering Oban on a cool, cloudy day led us to this sweet treat of a café for creamy hot chocolate
High Tea – with several establishments offering afternoon tea, we opted for and enjoyed a huge spread at the new refurbished Muthu Oban Regent Hotel’s Saltburn Restaurant
Staffa Tours – our above-mentioned tour began in Tobermory on the island of Mull and included the cost of the return ferry and bus ride from Oban to Tobermory, thus adding seemless transport for us to enjoy the day
Islay
Feis Ile Festival – An annual festival that celebrates Islay at the end of May. It’s humble beginnings in 1986 have flourised into a celebration of all things Islay, including nature, food, cèilidhs (music and dancing), history, and the unique peaty whiskies it is known for. Their saying “Come for the whisky, return for the island” certainly rings true. I’d love to return. Check back soon as a post all its own will published shortly.
Edinburgh
Dean Village – formerly an industrial and milling centre in Edinburgh, it now is an (almost) peaceful residential area filled with old stone buildings alongside the Water of Leith. Popularized on Instagram in recent years, it supplies a pastoral air despite the number of tourists.
Princes Street Park with Ross Fountain – with Edinburgh Castle perched above, Princes Street Park was a perfect place take photos of both the castle and colourful Ross Fountain. We even had lunch at one of the onsite vendors.
BrewDog Bar (Lothain Road) – our final night we headed to BrewDog to meet with fellow travellers and have some food and some good craft beer, arriving amidst the unexpected rain. It was a good way to end the trip.
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